Broken Promises
by Claire-Grady143
Summary: Almost 2 years after Jurassic World. My take on how and why they separated. ONE SHOT


**Broken Promises**

 **Summary:** _Almost 2 years after Jurassic World. My take on how and why they separated._

The past two years were full of ups and downs for Claire and Owen. Most couples believed their first year of marriage is the hardest. For Claire and Owen, the first year of their relationship was a huge test of their strength and love for each other.

They fell in love quickly, immediately becoming the one stable thing the other needed to rely on during the press conferences and media following the fall of Jurassic World.

Early on in their relationship they had already seen each other at their worst. Both trying desperately to wipe away the other's tears once they had locked themselves in the hotel room, set aside by Masrani Corp. They gave in to each other's needs, proving to the other that they were there.

From their first night together, they realized they stood stronger when together. He calmed her nerves as she spoke to the flashing lights and microphones shoved in her face. She held him close at night as he mourned the loss of his raptors. She became his only reason for getting up out of bed the next morning.

Once they were both cleared to leave Costa Rica, they ran as far from the eyes of the world as they could. Hiding out in their small van was paradise for a few months. That was until Owen began asking about her thought on marriage. It was just after the one year anniversary of Jurassic World.

The couple were spread out on a blanket, cuddled up under the stars, a blanket draped over them as Owen traced small circles on her bare back. Claire's head resting on his chest, her fingers tracing the lines of his muscles on his stomach. "You happy?" Owen Whispered into the darkness.

Claire laid silent for a moment, wondering where that question came from and quickly thinking back to see if she may have did or said something to make him think otherwise. She lifted her head, resting her chin on his chest. He moved his free hand to rest behind his head to he could meet her eyes. She narrowed her eyes, confused. "I am. Why?"

He sighed heavily and stopped his motions on her back, laying his hand flat against her skin to hug to closer to him. "Just making sure this is enough."

She raised an eyebrow. "Enough? Enough for what?" Lifting her chin off his chest, to frown at him, unsure of what exactly was on his mind.

"Me, us… all of this."

Claire shifted so she was resting on her elbow, her hand now flat against his stomach. "I don't understand."

He followed her motion and leaned up on his elbow to immediately press his lips to hers. "I love you." He whispered.

She pulled back, even more confused than before. "I love you, too." Owen's whole body seemed to relax when she leaned in to kiss him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her down with him as he laid back on the blanket.

Catching their breath, he swiped her sweaty bangs from her face. "Would you ever want to get married one day?" He asked once their breathing was back to normal.

Claire's body when rigid, her eyes wide as they stared into the flames of the fire burning beside them. Opening her mouth to speak, she failed to find her voice. She gripped the blanket against her chest and sat up, feeling around in the dark for her clothes.

"Hey?" Owen sat up quickly, his fingers locking around her wrist. "That wasn't a proposal is that's what has you freaking out."

Still refusing to look back at him, she stopped trying to find her shirt. Gripping the blanket against her chest, she took a deep breath. "Do you?" She asked softly, not able to hide the unsteady shake in her voice.

"Want to get married?" Owen thought for a moment and shrugged. "Maybe one day. I do know that I want to be with you."

"I've never thought of tying my life together with someone else's. Giving my hand to another man just sounds so cliche. Marriage is just a man's way of claiming a woman. She wears his ring and changes her identity for him."

"Identity?" Owen questioned, suddenly feeling very stupid for even bringing up the subject in the first place.

"Yeah," Claire nodded, finally turning to look at him. "My mom married my dad and became Mrs. Dearing. Completely changing her identity to everyone around her, She was now Richard's wife and then the mother of his kids. My sister… she became Mrs. Mitchell…" Claire trailed off when she noticed Owen's head shaking slightly, disagreeing with what she was saying.

"You're still you when you get married. Your last name has nothing to do with marriage. You don't have to change it if you don't want to."

Claire smiled slightly, happy that that was his response. "Well then if I'd want to keep my last name, what's the point on marriage anyway? It's just showing on paper that we love each other. I know you love me." She kissed him quickly and deciding that trying to find her clothes again was going to take more time, she stood up, taking their blanket with her and turned to walk back to the van, leaving Owen bare to the cool night air.

She quickly dressed for bed while Owen put out the fire. She had already tucked her self in when he walked through the door.

The next few days Owen noticed she was almost tiptoeing around him, not quite looking him in the eye when he spoke to her. She shied away from his touch at night using the excuse that she was too tired.

Two weeks after their marriage talk, Isla Nublar was back on every news channels. Mt. Sibo was awakening from its slumber, threatening the animals on the island.

Owen walked into the van, a platter of sausage and bacon that he cooked over the fire in his hands. "What are you watching?" He wondered when he saw her laying on her stomach across their bed, her eyes wide as she watched the live coverage.

"Come here." She couldn't get her voice above a whisper.

He immediately put the platter down and crawled onto the bed beside her. "What is it?"

She laid her phone on the mattress so they both could watch the coverage of a few volcanologists being interviewed. Once the live feed ended, Claire found herself staring at the black screen on her phone. Owen got up and walked back to the platter of breakfast food.

"That's it?" Claire wondered, now sitting on the bed.

Owen turned slowly to look at her. "What?"

"You're just going to not let it bother you?"

He took a bite of his bacon before answering her. "What do you want me to do? Go save them?"

Claire looked down at the floor for a moment. Her eyes darting from one spot to the next, not focusing on anything in particular. Her thoughts were elsewhere. Owen watched her cautiously. "Yes." She finally answered, looking up at him.

He choked on his food and leaned towards her. "Excuse me?"

She shook her head quickly, dismissing his thoughts on her agreeing that he should go safe them. "We have to save them. They're an endangered species!" Claire jumped to her feet, pacing the small space as Owen watched her with wide-eyes. "We can use the money from the settlement to start a campaign to save them. There's no one else out there that will fight for them. We have to do it."

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, but Claire, where would they go? It's not like we can bring them here to live happily ever after. As you can clearly see, dinosaurs and humans don't mix well together."

She jumped her her feet, her eyes wide with determination. "We have to try!"

"If this is you trying to prove to me that you don't see them as assets, I get it. You alone are not going to be able to save them, Claire. This is meant to be. Let it go."

Claire's eyes narrowed and she took a step towards him. "I can't just sit here and do nothing." She walked towards him, reaching for the keys to his truck. He gripped her arm as she reached for the door.

"Where are you going?"

She waved her phone in the air. "No service, remember? I'm going into town for a little while."

Claire quickly threw herself into her campaign to save the dinosaurs. Leaving Owen stubborn in the van, refusing to have anything to do with the island. He felt a shift in their relationship and knew this was going to be Claire's escape. Within a few months, Claire had established the Dinosaur Protection Group.

She sat one night, her laptop resting on her legs as she was perched up in bed, reading through the latest news on the volcano. Owen laid beside her, his eyes focused on the ceiling. "I was thinking," Claire broke the silence between them.

Owen sat up quickly, feeling like they haven't spoken in days. "What's up?"

"We should get an apartment in the city. Some place more permanent. I need something closer to the DPG anyway."

"No! We aren't living in the city." Owen jumped out of bed, his hands balling into tight fists. "First you go out and buy yourself a car, now you're talking about an apartment?"

Claire slammed her laptop shut and crawled over Owen's side of the bed to stand in front of him. "I'm trying to save money! The gas milage in your truck sucks. The car makes more sense. You can still keep your precious van. I need to be closer to the city."

"You need to be further away from me." Owen pointed out.

Claire recoiled as if she was punched in the gut. "That's not it at all!"

"No?" Owen questioned, not believing her. "All this happened after I brought up getting married. If you haven't noticed it's been three weeks since you let me touch you."

Claire backed up and once the mattress hit the back of her legs she sat down, her eyes on the floor. Owen's words echoing in her head. She didn't mean to pull away from him. Or did she? She loved him. That much she knew was true, but something in her shifted. Her focus was not on him anymore. She didn't know how to fix it.

Another few weeks went by when Claire found herself standing in an empty apartment just a few blocks from the DPG. She had signed the paperwork, putting the apartment in both her and Owen's name, but she stood alone. She hoped that Owen, oblivious to the apartment, would come with her.

"You what?" Owen boomed, his voice shaking the walls of the van.

Claire had handed him the spare key to the apartment. "It's ours." She told him.

"Bullshit." He spat.

"I can't be out here! I don't know how to make you understand what I need, Owen." She stood tall, keeping her tears locked up. Refusing to show him how much he was hurting her.

"I'm not doing this again, Claire!" He pushed passed her and stormed out of the van. They were both becoming tired of fighting over the same thing.

A few days later Claire had packed some of her clothes and had purchased an air mattress for her first night at the apartment. She had asked Owen that morning to join her, letting him know when she would be home.

She was happy to see his truck parked on the street when she pulled up. Hurrying up to the apartment, she unlocked the door and found Owen sitting in the dark. His head was in his hands as he sat on the couch.

"Hey," she said warily.

"You have furniture." He pointed out.

She looked at the couch he was sitting on and nodded slowly. "We need something here."

"You mean you need something here." He corrected.

Claire crossed her arms against her chest and took a deep breath. "This is our place, Owen! You promised me one day we would settle somewhere. I'm tired of hiding out in the woods. I'm done living out of the van. We finally have a purpose again."

"You promised me it would be us forever. Then when I mention marriage you run as far away as you can! You got this apartment for you, not for us. Your precious DPG is all that matters now." Owen stood slowly, his whole body shaking. They both knew what was coming next. He was not ready to face the world again. He couldn't think about the dinosaurs on the island. The guilt of losing the three raptors, and leaving Blue behind ate at him every day. It was always Claire that made him feel better, but now she was pulling away, abandoning him this time.

"I'm needed here." She whispered, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"I don't want to be here." He yelled.

"Fine!" She screamed back. "You want to go live in your van like a bum? Go ahead, Owen!"

He stared into her eyes, seeing the hurt there, but her words were like a thousand knives in his chest. "Ok." He said and moved around her. He opened the door and looked back at Claire's back. He could see her shoulders shaking slightly, but she didn't turn to face him. She didn't move to stop him. He closed the door behind him and his own tears slid silently down his face as he walked to his truck.


End file.
